1. Either
slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness
The second reality
check is the undeniable fact that no one is independent; one is either a slave
to sin or a slave to righteousness. For we have been duly instructed saying, “knowing
this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be
done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin: For he who has died
has been freed from sin” (Romans
6:6-7).
We have been
further admonished by the apostle Paul saying; “Do you not know that to whom
you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey,
whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But
God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the
heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set
free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness``.
“I speak in human
terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your
members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more
lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for
holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to
righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now
ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free
from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and
the end, everlasting life” (Romans 6: 16-22).
The irony of truth
is, man is either a slave to sin, or a slave to righteousness: He is either a
citizen of the kingdom of light, or a citizen of the kingdom of darkness: He is
either living in accordance to the flesh, or he is living in accordance to the Spirit:
The sad reality
however is that, the majority of professing believers do not take the new way
of life which is in accordance to the Spirit, as literal and practical as the
way of life which is in accordance to the flesh, despite the admonition which categorically
states; “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of
the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the
flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things
that you wish.” (Galatians
5:16-17).
As slaves we are
not independent where every man does what seems right in his/her own eyes, or
walking after the imagination of his/her own evil heart. True believers now possess
a new spirit, a new mind and a new heart for one purpose and one purpose only and
that is, for the Lord to put His laws into our hearts, and write them in our
minds or vice versa, it
is for us to obey His commandments and for He to be our God, and we become His
people.
Please bear in mind
that the huge transformation is from slave of sin to being slaves of righteousness
or slaves of God. And when we were slaves of sin (transgressing the laws of
God), we were free in regard to righteousness. So now, having become slaves of righteousness we are free from sin.
For we have been
admonished saying; “But now having been set free from sin, and having become
slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (Romans 6:2 2).
So what should be
foremost and of top priority on our minds as slaves of God is righteousness and
true holiness, the new nature in which the new man was created.
These times of
ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent: Let
us not allow ourselves to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine: Ignorance
of the law is no excuse.
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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